Longmont's Oskar Blues, Left Hand again climb in Brewers Association top 50

Times-Call staff report

Posted:
03/31/2014 12:45:24 PM MDT

Updated:
03/31/2014 11:18:13 PM MDT

Boulder-based Brewers Association on Monday released its annual list of top 50 craft breweries based on sales volume in 2013, and two of Longmont's three craft breweries made the list.

Oskar Blues moved up three spots to No. 24. The company increased its volume by 36 percent last year over the previous year, and its revenues increased 40 percent.

Left Hand Brewing Co. had an increase of 32 percent in volume and 34 percent in revenues and climbed to No. 38 — a jump of five spots.

Longmont's third craft brewery is 300 Suns, which opened in February.

Other Colorado craft breweries on the list were New Belgium at No. 3, the same as last year, and Odell's, which fell a spot to No. 34. Both are based in Fort Collins. Denver-based Breckenridge Brewery is No. 40.

The list is compiled based on the 2013 definition of a craft brewer, according to the Brewers Association: small, meaning fewer than 6 million barrels in annual production; independent, meaning less than 25 percent of it is owned or controlled by a company that is not a craft brewer; and traditional, meaning a brewer that has either an all-malt flagship beer or at least 50 percent of its volume is all-malt beers or beers that use adjuncts to enhance, rather than lighten, the flavor.

The BA also noted that flavored malt beverages are not considered beer under its definition.

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